







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Last night we were open till very late, and you know her excuse. | |
| No, I'm not lying! I never lie. | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| Of course, my name is Cate and my number is 077... | |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | |
| No, but I definitely don't want to live in that house anymore! | |
| What about that table? It looks better. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| Yeah, I like having lasagne the day after it's cooked, it tastes better. | |
| Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | |
| But before we go, can you call them and ask if they are okay with pets? | |
| The ones at the bottom look fresher. | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| That's nice, I like the music and the lyrics. | |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| Do you think electric stoves are better? | |
| I'm sorry to say there is nothing very exciting. | |
| It's not a nice thing to do. | |